


Sorrow

by lady81bird



Category: Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Genre: Age of Legends, Ficlet, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-13
Updated: 2012-02-13
Packaged: 2017-10-31 03:16:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/339274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady81bird/pseuds/lady81bird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Age of Legends. Lewis Therin Telamon after Sammael's betrayal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sorrow

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was written a couple of years ago and never posted anywhere else but my long-dead Insane Journal account. It was supposed to be a prologue to a longer Rand-centric fic, but that one never got written. So I have a Lewis Therin Telamon centric ficlet instead. 
> 
> There is a scene in the _Fires of Heaven_ (I think) where Rand, exhausted from all the channeling he has done in the battle, starts talking aloud about Lewis Therin's memories of a battle where Sammael revealed he had gone over to the Dark One's side. This was inspired by that scene. And also by the thought that the tradition of Warders had to start with something, so why not with a sort of bodyguard-support squad to Aes Sedae?

The long caravan of people hurriedly climbed the hills. Behind them were the smoking ruins of their home. A man stopped and looked back at the city. 

They were leaving. There was nothing they could do here now. One more place they could not save, one more city fallen to the darkness… one more Aes Sedae fallen to the promises of the Dark One…

_How many? Seven that we know of. Seven! How many more?_

The city was burning. Flaming. All around him people were walking, climbing, limping. Men, women, children. Farmers, handicrafters, merchants, scholars, warriors… Moving quickly, almost running, but still not fast enough. Feeling the distant blow as if it had landed on his own body the man stumbled but managed to stay upright. 

_How much longer can we hold the shield?_

He looked around him again. People kept going past him – it seemed like there were so many of them, but he knew this was just a little part of the townspeople. Just the little part who had gotten out of Hevan before the Shadow fell. They had nothing with them. They were lucky to be alive. 

The man started walking again. Just a little more to go. Just a little more, then they could open the gate and get out of here. To safety. He closed his eyes briefly. 

_Is there any safety left in the world? Any place safe from betrayal?_

He looked up when Culan Cuhan rode by him. Tears had washed clear tracks on her soot-streaked face. She did not notice him. 

Tel Janin’s betrayal had cost hope for Hevan and its people. For how many more? The Gates had fallen, there was nothing to stop the Shadow from tearing straight on. 

_How many more will die? Is there any hope left for us?_

Hope – what could give them hope now? New hope, strength to continue fighting? This time he laughed out loud. Oh, he knew, to defeat the Dark One, yes, that would give them hope. His laughter gained an hysterical edge. Refugees around him threw startled looks his way. 

Defeat the Dark One – Light saw they had tried, they had. But every time it seemed they had gained something, another one would listen to the honey-songs of Darkness and turn on them destroying everything. Seven Aes Sedae. Not Aes Sedae anymore - the servants, yes, but not the Servants of All. The servants of Darkness who had forsaken the Light.

_May the Light forsake them, may there be no hope left for them like they have left no hope for us. May they be Forsaken!_

Hope. Defeat the Dark One. Words, empty words. How, oh how? He’d give anything, _anything_ , bear everything to throw the Lord of Darkness back. 

_Oh Light, if there is a chance, no matter how high the cost, I will take it, I swear! By the Wheel and the Creator I swear it!_

The sudden gust of wind twirled up the dust almost choking him. He stumbled, gained his balance and stumbled again as another blow fell on the shield they had raised to protect their retreat... their flight.

“Lews Therin! Lews Therin Sedae!” Suddenly a figure appeared in the settling dust. Strong hands caught and supported him.

“Oh, thank the Light, Lews Therin, here you are, I lost you in this havoc and Melieda Sedae sent me to search for you, we were afraid you had fallen behind… It will not take long now, the gate is open and people already going through… Come on, just a little longer, here we go…” 

Lews Therin let himself be guided towards the gate and once again felt gratefulness for the presence of Elidar Shelan from the squad Gai Din.


End file.
